Page 112 (1/2)

“I hate to think of her life with hiain “My mum was…lovely” She sounds breathless as she shields her eyes with one hand “My father was the last of the une” She looks at her lap as she whispers, “He wasn’t good”

“What do you mean?”

She looks at h s up to her chest and wraps her arms around them

“I hate to think of her that way” Her throat sounds tight Her head is kind of down there on her arms That’s how I notice when her shoulders tremble

For a second, I’ile Like if I fuck up, Iher So I scoot closer I sit right beside her, and I wrap my arm around her back When she doesn’t tense or push me away, I wrap my other arm around her in the front and scoot still closer

Finley’s body slackens against mine “I killed the rahter Fuck

“No” I shift her weight a little, so she’s in my lap—she’s in my arms—and wrap my hand around the back of her head “I know that’s not true”

“I did” Her voice is tight and thick

I rub her back as she shivers I can feel her chest puh air

“Hey…” I rub some circles on her back “Just take some slow breaths Do it with me, sweetheart”

I inhale, pushing e expand on a breath Then she exhales with her cheek pressed to my shirt

“That’s right” I stroke her soft hair, drawing -tail part “You’re okay” I hold her tighter

“I pushed hiainst my chest “It was supposed to be…the two of us…but he ca at the last ainst , and he held her head into the water So I shoved hi to save hi so hard now that it alasp “She earing…this halo Flower halo, fro away” Her shoulders shake as she weeps “I did that”

She wrenches out ofthe dirt of the trail as she lands on it I’m on her heels, ready to run after her…except she doesn’t run She leans over with her hands braced on her knees as I touch her back

“Siren…” I run my hands over her shoulder blades, then think what I’d want if I was losing my shit and scoop her up I carry her to another rock, a smaller one on the other side of the path, and sit doith Finley curled in my lap I lock an arm around her, and she turns her face into my shoulder and sobs